Fake Girlfriend
by alwaysavampiregirl
Summary: Bella is in love with her roommate Alice's brother Edward, but Edward sees them as just friends. What happens when Edward asks Bella to be his fake girlfriend for a weekend? Rated M for future chapters
1. Chapter 1

You never know when one decision will change the rest of your life. It could happen when you're in a coffee shop or a bookstore. It could happen anytime, anywhere. After all of these seemingly random decisions, it all adds up. All of the choices you made throughout your life lead you to that moment that irreversibly alters your life from that moment on. And you finally realize who you're supposed to spend the rest of your life with.

For me, it happened in a mall.

I, Bella Swan, had met my roommate and best friend Alice my freshman year of college. The University of Washington matched us up as roommates. We instantly hit it off. She was so sweet and caring and I knew we were going to be best friends for life. She keeps me from getting in trouble where I shouldn't and pushes me into trouble that would be good for me.

We had been living together for two years when her younger brother Edward decided to attend the U of W as a business major. The first time I met him, I was shocked at how attractive he was. His muscular 6'3 frame matched his crooked smile and auburn hair. He was the most gorgeous man I had ever seen. I had met guys like him before—all looks and no personality—so I didn't expect very much from Alice's god like brother.

I have never been more wrong about someone in my whole life. Edward was charming, funny, witty, and kind. He made me feel like I was important and wanted in a way no one had ever made me feel. He was everything I didn't know I had been looking for in a person.

Over the next two years, Edward, Alice, and I all spent all of our time together. We studied together and hung out on the weekends. Edward and I became very close friends. I could tell him things that I couldn't tell anyone. I felt safe with him and before I knew it I was in love with him. The only problem was he didn't see me that way. I was resigned to the fact that I would have to love him from afar when one day, in a mall, my whole life changed.

It was Alice's 21st birthday and we were trying to find her birthday outfit. "Because everyone needs a birthday outfit Bella. It makes them feel special," she had told me.

"Let's go into the J. Crew store, Bella!" Alice yelled back to me.

For the love of all that is holy that women could shop. We had been at the mall for hours and she had literally dragged us into every store. I hate shopping, but my saving grace was the time I get to spend with Edward.

"Ya Edward. Let's hit the J. Crew store!" I exclaim with as much enthusiasm as I can muster.

Edward laughs, "Try and control your excitement Bella. Its distracting." He smiles that crooked smile he saves just for me. Well maybe not, but I like to think he does.

"You know how I feel about shopping," I groaned while walking into the store. Alice and I were so similar in our personalities as well as our interests with the exception of shopping. She could shop for hours and I could hardly bring myself to go into a store for 30 minutes. But it was her birthday, so I was going to suck it up for her.

I was walking around the store giving Alice my opinion on her outfit choices when I heard Edward's phone chirp followed by an enormous sigh. I noticed Edward's distant look and said, "That was quite a sigh."

"Jessica and Mike are coming," he groaned.

Ah. Now I understood his sigh. Jessica and Mike had been together since high school. We had become friends with them after Edward met them in the dorms his freshman year. They were a nice couple, but Jessica was a born flirt and totally drooling over Edward. Edward felt awful because Mike was his friend. He didn't want to hurt his friend by being the subject of Jessica's flirtations, but he didn't know what to do to them.

"Why did you invite her if you dislike being around her so much?" I questioned.

"I didn't really invite her. She asked me what I was doing and I told her I was at the mall. The next thing I knew she was on her way here," he whined.

I laughed at his desolate look, "Edward I've told you to get a girlfriend, so she'll leave you alone. She wouldn't hit on you so much if you were taken. Plus, your girlfriend would put her in her place if she did." Edward had been single since coming to college. He was a finance major, so he didn't have a whole lot of free time to spend with girls.

I kept looking through the different racks for things I thought would be of interest to Alice when Edward murmured, "Oh my god. That's it."

I turned to see he had stopped in the middle of the store and was staring at me. Glancing back at him, I asked, "What are you talking about?"

"A girlfriend. I need a girlfriend to keep Jessica from hitting on me all the time and to salvage my friendship with Mike."

I snorted and chuckled, "Edward haven't you been paying attention? I've been saying that for months now."

Edward raced over to me, grabbed both of my arms, and pulled me to him. "Be my girlfriend."

Dumfounded, I opened my mouth several times like fish out of water and replied, "I'm sorry. I entered to twilight zone for a second. I could have sworn you just said 'Be my girlfriend'."

"I did."

"Edward be serious," I broke away from his hold and wandered over to a different rack of shirts. I needed to gather my composure. He couldn't possibly know he was offering me the one thing I wanted more than anything. The one thing I dreamed about every night for the past two years. He couldn't know how hard it was for me to not simply agree to be his and jump for joy, so I need to put some distance between us before he saw how much his request was affecting me.

He glided over to the rack so that he was standing opposite of me, "I am being serious. You said so yourself. I need a girlfriend. This is me getting one."

I studied the shirts intensely. I couldn't look up at him. I knew if I did and I saw he was joking, it would kill me. "Well I didn't mean me. You can't be serious about this."

He put his fingers under my chin and pulled my face up to see him, "Look at me, Bella," I met his absurdly green eyes with mine, "I'm dead serious. Pretend to be my girlfriend for the weekend. Just while my parents are here and I have to see Jessica. That way I kill two birds with one stone. My mom will stop nagging me about being alone and Jessica will leave me alone. Please Bella?"

I searched his eyes to see if he was being serious or not. I couldn't believe he was asking me this. As I stared into his emerald eyes, I saw nothing but sincerity. He was completely serious. He really wanted me to pretend to be his girlfriend for the weekend.

The longer I stared, the more I felt a deep pull in my heart. I didn't know what it was at first, but after I focused on it I realized it was a feeling of utter rightness. Standing there, so close together, with his fingers under my chin felt so natural that I didn't even notice that my hand had come up to rest on his chest. In that moment, I wanted nothing more than to be his, even if it was just for a little while.

Not wanting to break the perfectness of the moment, I whispered, "Okay. I'll be your girlfriend."

He brought his other hand up to cup my face and pressed his forehead against mine. I don't know how long we stayed like that. It felt like an eternity had passed and the longer we stood like that the more I found I never wanted to leave his embrace. As he pulled away from me, he pressed his lips against my forehead, and said, "Thank you. I owe you one."

Dazed, I didn't hear Alice calling my name or see her parents walking up to join us. All I could focus on was the lingering feeling of Edward's lips on my forehead and the warm pressure of his hand in mine. I had no idea what I had gotten myself into, but I knew that my life had been irrevocably changed forever.


	2. Chapter 2

**Thank you guys so much for reading. It means a lot to me. Hope you enjoy this next chapter! Please review if you liked it!**

Chapter 2

Over the next hour, Edward and I fell into a pretty good rhythm. Pretending to be Edward's girlfriend really wasn't all that different than the way we were normally. The only difference was that he was holding my hand. I guess we always had chemistry and we definitely enjoyed each other's company.

Walking through the next few stores, it felt like we had always been together. It was almost easier than it was before this crazy plan because I didn't have to hide my longing looks or my blush when he would brush up against me. No one even noticed that Edward would hold my hand or put his hand on my lower back. Every once in a while I would even catch him looking at me with an expression on his face I couldn't decipher. Could it be desire? Longing? I shook my head as if to clear these ridiculous thoughts from my imagination. I couldn't go down that road if I was going to make it out of this weekend with the least amount of scars.

It was like we were living in our own little happy bubble. As with most things of this nature, it couldn't stay private forever. Esme started to catch on first. She started beaming every time she would catch Edward touching me or laughing at something I said. She started to pay more attention to us than she was Alice or our shopping excursion.

I pulled Edward aside and said, "We've been discovered. I think you need to Alice what is going on before your mother does. She's staring at me like she's waiting for her favorite show to start and I'm sure she's dying to ask your sister for all the gory details." I chuckled and pointed towards the rack where Esme was excitedly inching her way closer to Alice.

Edward was standing behind me and looked over to where his mother and sister were. He laughed and then leaned in so close to my ear I could feel his lips brush against it with every word he whispered, "Well if she wants a show, I can certainly obliged her." He placed a gentle kissed behind my ear.

Goosebumps broke out across my skin as I closed my eyes. Before I could catch myself, I leaned back into his warm, muscular chest and turned my head to the side to give him better access to my neck. Edward nuzzled his face into my hair while placing butterfly kisses along every part of my neck he could reach.

A throat clearing brought us back to reality. My eyes snapped open and I went to step out of Edward's embrace only to be met with the resistance of Edward's arms. He pulled me back against him and hummed in my ear. Content to stay where I was, I looked up to see what so rudely interrupted my personal version of heaven.

"Well, well. What do we have here? That was a little steamy for a department store. Edward, I didn't think you unleashed your charms on unsuspecting women like that," Jessica giggled.

Oh lovely. The woman who wanted desperately to get into my boyfriend's bed was here. _My boyfriend_? Fake boyfriend. He's your _fake _boyfriend, Bella. Get a grip. You haven't even been to his bed and you probably won't ever get there. _But, oh, how I wanted to. I bet the things that man could do are deliciously sinful._

I'm pulled out of my inner musings when Jessica loudly greets Carlisle and Esme. She hugs both of them before turning back to me.

She takes in my position in Edward's arms and says, "Bella, I didn't realize you and Edward have gotten so close. Edward is one of Washington's most eligible bachelors. You better be careful. The girls on the prowl might get the wrong idea about you two and you may end up in a cat fight over him."

I had no idea how to respond to that. I couldn't believe she was really going to call me out like in front of his family. Thankfully, I didn't have to answer because Edward immediately responded for me.

"Not only do I not care about what the 'girls on the prowl' think about my relationship status, but they wouldn't be making any wrong assumptions seeing as Bella is my girlfriend. She has been for awhile now." Edward punctuated his statement by wrapping his arms around me even tighter.

An ear-piercing squeal interrupted the awkward tension. We all turned towards the source to see Esme beaming at Edward and I. "I knew it! I just knew you kids would figure out you were perfect for each other!" she exclaimed.

I turned to look at Alice to see how she was dealing with this bombshell. She just smirked at me and sent me the smuggest look she could muster. Well how about that. She must have gotten one of her mostly accurate 'feelings'.

"I'm glad you all approve. We didn't tell you guys sooner because we didn't want to take away from Alice's big weekend," I lied.

"That and we were still in our honeymoon phase," Edward added as he playfully bit my neck. I blushed from head to toe. The things that man could do to me without even trying.

Esme rushed to give us both a giant bear hug. "I'm so happy for your kids! Now, who's hungry?"

We started walking towards the Cheesecake Factory. Edward never let go of me. We walked through the mall with his arm thrown over my shoulder and my arm tucked around his waist.

As we were walking, I looked around at our little group. I could see that they were all genuinely happy for us. Well, most everyone was.

Jessica was trying so hard to keep it together. She looked madder than a half drowned cat. However, she was smart enough to know that she wouldn't get anywhere with Edward if she offended his family.

"Edward, I'm so happy for you. Just the other day we were talking about how I couldn't believe you were still single. I'm glad she makes you happy," Jessica cooed.

Ok, maybe this will be easier than we thought it was going to be. She was going to be civil and we could have a great weekend. This was going to be awesome.

Or not.

My relief was short lived. Jessica walked up and gave Edward a half hug because I was still wrapped up in his arms. She looked me right in the eye and said, "But the second she doesn't make you happy anymore I'll be more than happy to get rid of her for you."

_Oh hell no_. If she wanted to play this game, I was more than happy to show her how it's done.

I snuggled deeper into Edward's side, put my best mushy smile on my face, and looked up into his eyes. After a few moments I said, "I would be the world's biggest idiot to do something that would make Edward unhappy. And I would spend the rest of forever begging for his forgiveness."

Brief shock flashed across Edward's face before being replace by the most beautiful smile I had ever seen. "And I would be a complete moron to let you go."

I couldn't contain my joy. I'm sure I was smiling like and idiot, but it was just so easy to get lost in our little charade. It was everything I wanted and exactly how I imagined it would be.


	3. Chapter 3

**Next Chapter! Please Review! Enjoy!**

Chapter 3

"Well don't you two just make the perfect couple," Jessica retorted in a sickly sweet tone as she walked into the restaurant.

Edward and I just ignored her, choosing instead to hang back from the group to get away from prying eyes.

"She is pissed at me. Dear Jesus. Did you see the way she was glaring at me?" I questioned while I laughed. It was kinda funny how upset she was getting considering I'm really no threat to her.

Edward laughed. "What, are you scared Bella?"

"Maybe I should be. Her threat was pretty direct. She does _not_ want us together."

Edward stopped and pulled me deeper into his chest. Pretty soon I wasn't going to know where he ended and I started. He had both arms wrapped around my waist and serious look of worry on his face.

Dread immediately filled me. Was he thinking this wasn't a good idea anymore? Did I cross a line? Was he going to end the most wonderful thing I that had ever happened to me

Before I could worry any more, Edward brought one hand up to brush the hair back that had fallen in front of my face. With his hand resting on my cheek and the most intense look in his eyes he said to me, "You know I would never let anyone hurt you, don't you Bella?"

"Of course I do," I said breathlessly. And I did. Edward would rather die than let the people closest to him get hurt—including his friends.

He let out a relieved sigh, "Good."

He kept staring at me with that intense look on his face. Before I did something stupid, like kiss him, I said, "Maybe we should set some ground rules for this whole relationship thing. Just so that things don't get weird."

Amused, he replied, "Afraid you can't keep your hands to yourself, Swan?"

If only he knew it was a herculean effort to not completely assault him. Seriously. Mother Theresa herself would have a hard time keeping her thoughts pure around him.

Not knowing how to respond since I could never lie to this man, I stuck with sarcasm.

"Yep. That's it. You're just too attractive for your own good. How can I possibly keep myself together? Take me. I'm yours," I deadpanned as I pretended to swoon. Hopefully, my over exaggeration would distract from the truth in those statements.

Edward laughed. That was a good sign.

"Bella, if you're gonna make my parents and my stalker believe you're my girlfriend you have to touch me."

Well there you have it. He's insisting. It would be rude to deny his request, so I guess I'll just have to touch him as much as I want. To convince his parents. And Jessica. _Ya, keep telling yourself that, Bella._

"And to be convincing as your boyfriend, I have to be able to touch you. I wouldn't want people to think I wasn't an affectionate boyfriend, or that I couldn't satisfy my woman."

Edward chose that moment to run one of his hands from my neck, down my side, brushing his fingertips against my rib cage until he reached my ass. He tucked his hand into the back pocket of my jeans. His other hand wrapped itself into my hair and tilted my head up towards his face.

Chills spread through out my body. My eyes fluttered closed and my mouth fell open. Every part of me felt alive. I could feel my panties start to get wet. Good lord. I was already this worked up and he hadn't even kissed me yet.

"But I don't think we should have sex."

So close, but yet so far. Who's dumb idea was it to set ground rules? Oh. Right. That was me. Bella Swan, Official cockblocker since 1991.

"I agree," I tried to hide the disappointment from my voice.

He rubbed his nose against mine. "Good. I'm glad were on the same page."

I could have sworn I heard something behind his words. I got the feeling he wasn't just talking about the rules anymore. Could he be just as disappointed as I was?

"But that doesn't mean I can't kiss you. That's what a good boyfriend would do. He would kiss you every day, every chance he got," he whispered against my lips, almost to himself. I'm not even sure he even knew he said it out loud, but I heard it. It was the most romantic thing anyone had said to me.

I got lost in his eyes. It was like those beautiful emerald eyes put me in a trance. I could see our whole lives reflected in them. Marriage. Kids. Grandkids. Happiness. Love. It was like he was reading my mind, showing me everything I could have with him. Everything around us melted away.

Edward's eyes kept flickering between my eyes and my lips. My knees suddenly started to get weak. He pulled my face closer to his and my eyes slid shut. I was actually going to kiss Edward Cullen…

The hostess screaming "Cullen! Party of seven!" broke us out of our little bubble.

Edward blinked several times and cleared his throat. I took several deep breaths and stepped out of his arms.

I laughed nervously, "Well I guess we have our rules."

Edward, still trying to recover, replied, "Uh ya. Everything's fair game except sex. Sounds good to me."

"Good. I'll meet you inside then. I need to go to the little girl's room," I said as I walked inside.

Standing in front of the mirror in the bathroom, I realized three things. I was completely head over heels in love with Edward. I was going to have to tell him how I felt before the weekend was over. And Edward Cullen may not be as unattainable as I once thought.

I didn't know what this weekend was going to unfold, but I did know I was not the only one effected by our almost kiss. If that hostess didn't step out when she did, he would have kissed me. Maybe, just maybe, all of those moments over the years when I would catch him staring at me he really was looking at me with longing. Maybe he wants to be with me as much as I want to be with him. This weekend would either be the best thing for me or the worst thing.

There was only one way to find out. I walked out of the bathroom towards what I hoped would be the start of something great.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

As I walked back to the table, I made a decision. If I was going to win the heart of Edward Cullen, I needed to show him I could be the best girlfriend in the history of girlfriends. The only problem with that was that I didn't really have a ton of experience in that department.

As I was touching up my lip gloss in the mirror, the door to the bathroom swung open and Jessica walked in. Oh goodie. Just what I wanted. An awkward stand off in the bathroom. Some days I really thought I was born under an unlucky star.

Determined to be the bigger person, I made to walk out the door with only a smile and a nod in her direction. Unfortunately for me, Jessica had other plans.

"Oh hey Bella. It's just so great to hear about you and Edward. I just didn't realize you guys were an item. Edward and I are pretty close and I'm sure he would have told me if he was seriously dating someone," she sing-songed.

Did she just imply what I think she's implying? Wow. I guess people really do get desperate when the sense the end of something.

"But there's nothing wrong with being a fling. Sometimes those are the most memorable moments in a person's life. No strings. No commitment. Seems like an arrangement you would enjoy, Bella. Especially since your not the serious dating material," she crowed as she fixed her gaudy bright lip stick.

I was gonna punch her lights out. How incredibly rude. Not only was she degrading me—which didn't bother me as much as it should have—but she was degrading Edward by claiming he would settle for anything less that "serious dating material." It was no secret that Edward wanted a family and he wouldn't be so mean to a girl, to lead her on like that.

Right?

No. Of course he wouldn't. Now is not the time for your stupid self-doubt Bella. Put on your big girl pants and put this witch in her place.

I finished preening in the mirror and walked over to Jessica, "Jessica, I didn't realize you spent so much time pondering Edward's dating habits. Especially since you and Mike have been together since high school. Some would call it improper or scandalous that you know so much about a man who isn't your boyfriend. Does Mike know you speculate on Edward's dating habits?"

"That's none of your business!" she exclaimed once she recovered from her shock.

I turned, reached for the door, and looked back at her over my shoulder, "Edward's dating preferences are none of your business either, so I suggest you quit speculating on them before it brings your more heartache than fortune.

Before she could say another word, I walked out of the bathroom and back to the table.

As I approached the table, I took in the sight of the people I love most in this world. They all seemed happy and relaxed. Even Edward, who normally was very stressed out due to his business course load, looked like he was enjoying himself. I would even say this was the most peaceful I had seen him in months. Right then and there, I vowed that I would do anything to keep that look on his face.

He looked up from the table and saw me. If I thought he looked peaceful before, he looked at me like I had brought Christmas early with all the trimmings and Santa Claus himself. He gave me the smile I thought he saved for me and motioned to the chair next to him.

As I took my place beside him, he wrapped his arm around my chair and scooted my chair close enough to him that I could easily sit with my body tucked into his side. I'm not even sure he noticed he did that because he didn't break the conversation he was having with his father. I turned to Carlisle to catch up on the conversation.

"How long have you and Bella officially been a couple, son?" he questioned.

I should have stayed zoned out. That way I wouldn't have to deal with the Spanish Inquisition that this lunch was certainly going to turn into. Panicked, I looked to Edward for the answer. However, Edward did not share the same anxiety I had about fabricating our fake past. In fact, he spoke with such confidence I felt like we were a real couple. I just leaned back and listened to the life I could have had if I had the guts to tell him how I felt.

Edward turned to look at me as he recounted our history for everyone at the table. His eyes never left mine throughout the whole story. "About two months. We were sitting in a coffee shop studying, like we have so many nights, when she started bobbing her head to the music she was listening to while writing her paper. She had opted to wear sweatpants because she always feel most comfortable in them and doesn't see the need to dirty a pair of jeans to study."

To my utter disbelief, I realized his story did actually happened. We were studying about two months ago and I did always wear sweatpants. What was the point of putting on jeans and doing excess laundry? Anyway, I digress.

However, the night did not end with us becoming a couple. I knew that for sure. I waited with baited breath to hear how this alternate version would end.

"I found I was having a harder time concentrating," he continued," on my quantitative finance homework because I was spending too much time watching her. I finally couldn't stand not being able to tell her how beautiful she was, or how much I looked forward to hearing about her day. And the thought of other boys dating her made me violently ill. So, I took a chance on the way home from the coffee shop. As we getting ready to say goodnight, I leaned down and kissed her like I had wanted to a hundred times before. When she didn't slap me, I knew we could give us a shot. The rest is history, as they say."

By the time he had finished his story, everyone at the table—especially me—was completely captivated. Everything he said, except for the last bit about expressing his feelings for me and kissing me, was completely accurate. Edward was very distracted that night and lingered longer on my porch than he normally did when we said goodnight. I couldn't believe he would choose that story out of the hundred ways to start off our relationship.

"Well isn't that just the cutest story ever," Jessica deadpanned

Jessica rejoined the table? When did that happen? _That's what you get for being in Edward fantasyland, Bella. You lose track of reality._

Oh, right. Ha. Oops. Can you blame me though?

I blinked a couple of times and went to my old fall back when I didn't know what to do in an uncomfortable situation.

I made a joke. Just call me Kathy Griffin.

"Well, I couldn't slap him because I was afraid to ruin his pretty mug. If any harm came to that, how would he pay the bills?" I snarked.

The table laughed. I looked at Edward and I saw an unknown fire in his eyes. I wasn't sure what it meant, but I didn't expect what happened next.

"Oh baby. You know how I love your sarcasm," he chuckled darkly.

Before I could even fully process his movements, he had tilted my chin up and leaned forward.

And just like that, Edward Cullen's lips were on mine.


	5. Chapter 5

Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted in so long. Life has been crazy. Thank you for your support! Please review! It helps me keep the creative juices flowing. Enjoy!

Chapter 5

Bliss. I was in complete and utter bliss. The rest of the world faded away around us and all I could feel was Edward's soft, warm lips against mine.

This was no ordinary kiss. This was the mother of all kisses. As his lips moved with mine, I let out an embarrassing squeak/moan. I melted into his chest and his hand moved from my chin to cup my cheek. His tongue swiped across my bottom lip asking for entrance and I immediately granted it. Our tongues battled for dominance.

Before the kiss could get more heated, Edward pulled back. My eyes flew to his and he looked exhilarated. He cheeks were flushed and the fire behind eyes could not be mistaken for anything but desire. I moved to lean back in my chair only to discover I was no longer sitting in it. At some point during our kiss, I had climbed—or Edward had pulled me—into his lap. One of my hands was wrapped into his sex hair and the other was clutching his neck/shirt for dear life.

The mortification set in that I just mauled my best friend and _fake _boyfriend in front of his family. I tried to pull away from Edward and reclaim my chair, however, he just yanked me back onto his lap. That's when I noticed the enormous bulge that was nestled just against my thigh. I looked up at Edward in shock and he just blinked a couple of times to gain his composure.

"I guess the honeymoon stage is longer than you thought, huh Edward," Alice chirped from the other end of the table.

"I'm starting to get the feeling the honeymoon stage will never end with Bella," Edward huskily said while looking directly at me.

"Isn't that just the sweetest thing? They remind me of us Carlisle!" Esme squealed.

Carlisle chuckled and kissed his wife' hand, "If their love is anything like ours, Edward is right. The honeymoon stage never wears off."

Love? Who said anything about love? I mean I know I love Edward. I always have, but that doesn't mean that he loves me. As far as their concerned, we only started dating two months ago. Isn't that a little soon to be talking about love?

As I looked at Edward's parents, still in love so many years later, I realized that I desperately wanted what they had. I looked up at Edward and I saw the same desperation reflected in his eyes. He turned and looked at me, but the look in his eyes never changed. Maybe it was possible he could love me. Maybe the way he saw me was changing. There was no denying there was something between us. That mother of all kisses proved that. But is it something that could last a lifetime?

For the rest of the lunch, Edward kept in contact with me in some way. When the salads came out, his hand held mine. When our meals came out, his hand was running a circuit from my knee, up the top of my thigh, only to run along the inside of my thigh back to my knee. Talk about hard to concentrate. With every pass of his hand, I could feel my panties get wetter. I nearly choked on most of my pasta. Towards the end of the meal, I looked up to see if he knew what he was doing to me. He looked completely oblivious to the way he was ruining a very nice pair of panties.

Well, two could play that game.

While everyone was discussing what they wanted for dessert, I started making my own circuit on Edward's thigh. I reached over and started rubbing his knee. I watched his face for any type of reaction and I saw a slight smirk cross his lips. He never faltered in his conversation. I would just have to step up my attempts.

While I was listening to some boring story about Jessica's sorority, I started to move my hand up his thigh towards his gracious plenty. I could tell Edward was still a little bit excited from our kiss earlier and I moved my hand close enough to barely brush my pinky against the zipper of his jeans.

Edward choked on his water, flushed from head to toe, and turned his heated gaze on me. I dutifully patted his back like a good girlfriend and said, "Aw baby. Went down the wrong way?"

He turned his panty-melting gaze on me, grabbed my hand, place it directly over the bulge in his pants, and mutter, "Something like that."

Swan 1. Edward 0.

Our heated staring contest was interrupted when Jessica's head finally exploded.

"While I'm sure everyone at this table is happy for Edward and Bella, we don't want to see such graphic pda," she snapped.

He nuzzled his face into my neck and whispered, "She's right baby. What I have planned for you is not something I want my parents and sister to see. Yet, I can't seem to keep my hands off you. Mike keeps looking over at your beautifully flushed face and I have to keeping reminding myself not leap across the table at him. That flush is all for me, right baby?"

By the time he finished, I was putty in his hands. I gave a little mewling noise of consent. I would have done anything he wanted. He only had to ask. He kissed the side of my neck and pulled farther away from me with a self-satisfied smirk. When I finally surfaced from my Edward induced fog, I realized he thought he had all the power in this situation and I just couldn't let him think that I was going to be at his beck and call—despite the truth in those statements.

I leaned over to him like I was going to tell him a secret. I pressed my lips right next to his ear while my other hand massaged his still hard gracious plenty and said, "Just like this is all for me, right baby? I'm the only one who can get you so riled up with out ever really touching you. Just remember, you may not be the only one who has plans." I pulled away from him and returned to my cheesecake.

He jolted in his chair at my sudden departure and gapped at me like a fish. I wasn't sure what was real and what was a show for his parents and Jessica, but I did know that I was in deep trouble. I knew that I loved Edward more than anything and I was beginning to really enjoy being his girlfriend. We had crossed a line today that I knew I wasn't going to be able to uncross. I couldn't go back to Edward's friend Bella. I needed to do everything I could to remain Edward's girlfriend.


	6. Chapter 6

The rest of lunch passed quickly and uneventfully. Edward and I fell into a comfortable pattern of touching and eating. I saw the giddy side glances I was getting from Alice and Esme. I knew I would need to talk to the sometime this weekend, but I wasn't ready for their questions yet. I also noticed every single death glare I received from Jessica's end of the table. Boy, if looks could kill I would be deader than a doornail right now. Good lord.

"Well, I guess we should go back to the mall now. Alice wants to finish her shopping with us. Will you guys be alright on your own?" Esme questioned as we were leaving the restaurant.

I looked up at Edward and smiled, "Of course we will! You go have fun with Alice. She's been dying for you to get here."

Edward smiled my smile and we watched his parents and sister walk back into the mall. I kept waiting for the all-encompassing embarrassment at what I had just done to set in, but it never came. I wasn't usually such a brazen person and I never felt comfortable with any of my other, albeit few, boyfriends to do anything remotely like that. But with Edward, it just felt right. How could I be embarrassed by something that just felt like it was supposed to happen? Like two pieces of the same whole had finally been stuck together.

My musings on my lack of embarrassment were interrupted when Jessica piped up with, "Well I guess it's just us now, Edward. Whatever shall we do?"

Oh dear god. Couldn't this woman take a hint? We were all supposed to be going our own ways. I dreaded the thought of spend anymore time with this woman. Sensing my panic, Edward wrapped his arm around my waist and started tracing circles on my hip. I turned into his chest hoping Jessica would understand that I had no interest in talking to her. Not when I could have the attentions of this wonderful man who understood me like no one else.

"Jessica, I'm sure Edward and Bella would like to spend some time alone together. Why don't we leave them be and go catch a movie?" Mike cooed at her. Mike was officially my favorite person right now. I lifted my head up and shot him a grateful look.

Jessica laughed. Well more like cackled. Her eyes never left Edward's as she said, "Nonsense, sweetheart. They've had plenty of time to be by themselves since they didn't think the people closest to them needed to know about their budding romance. For all we know, he kept it a secret because he's ashamed of her."

Well that was a zinger. Even Mike was shocked by her obvious dig at me. My momentary hurt was washed away when I felt Edward stiffen next to me. That's never a good sign. I had to hide my smile in Edward's chest. Jessica was gonna get it.

"My personal life choices are just that. _Mine_. I do not _need_ to share them with anyone. The reasons I kept my relationship with Bella to myself for this long do not concern you. In case you were under the impression that you could speculate about my life choices, let me make this very clear. My relationship with Bella is not open for discussion, debate, badgering, or complaint. And I will not tolerate degrading, obvious, caddy comments about her from the peanut gallery. Is that understood?" Edward barked.

Well. Who knew Jane Austen was on to something when she claimed defending a girl's honor was so attractive? I felt hot tears prick behind my eyes. No one had ever done anything like that for me before.

Jessica balked at the commanding and angry tone of Edward's voice. Her eyes were as wide as saucers and she kept blinking her eyelashes like she had something in her eye. Why did women do that? Do they really think batting their eyelashes are going to get them out of trouble?

"Edward…I…I…" she stutter, "I only meant…"

Edward raised his hand in a motion to stop her rambling, "I'm not interested in what you meant. I'm only interested in whether you understood what I said to you," he commanded.

"Of course, Edward. I would never do anything to upset you on purpose or hurt Bella," she backpedaled.

Uh huh. Sure. And pigs fly.

"Good. Now that that's settled, Bella and I are going to get some coffee. We have some things to discuss. We'll see you later Mike."

"Ya man. Enjoy yourselves. Bye Bella," Mike waved.

And with that, Edward guided me towards the coffee shop across the street. I turned back to look at Jessica and she was seething at Mike and pointing at me. Poor Mike. I really did feel badly for him. He was kinda caught up in this mess.

As we sat down in the coffee shop, I started to feel nervous. I didn't know how to be around Edward now. Especially after our little display in the restaurant. We weren't just friends anymore. What if he didn't like all of me like I thought he did? And what did he mean he we had things to discuss?

_Get a grip Bella. You can't go back and change the past. You crossed this bridge, now you have to see where it leads. He's still the same Edward. Just be yourself._

Ok. Here goes nothing.

"One caramel macchiato for the lady," Edward smiled as he set my coffee down in front of me.

I grabbed at the coffee cup like it was my only lifeline after being thrown overboard. Maybe if I had something to hand on to, the sense of dread that settled in my stomach would disappear.

I gave him a little smile, "Thank you, kind sir."

"You most welcome, fair maiden," he chuckled at my formality.

Awkward silence settled between us. It was like both of us needed to say something, but neither of us wanted to go first. When I could stand the tension between us any longer, I finally blurted, "Edward, I hate this awkwardness between us. Just say what you wanna say and we can move on. Anything is better than this awkward weirdness thing we've got going on right now."

He laughed at my little outburst. "Bella, I think we need to talk about what happened at the restaurant."

"Can't we just chalk it up to good acting?" I laughed nervously. _Take the coward's way out._

There was a fire in Edward's eyes when I looked up into them. "Is that all it was for you? Just good acting? Everything you made me feel was just _acting? _I guess you had more practice in _acting_ with men than I thought."

_Ouch. _I felt tears prick behind my eyes.

"I mean really, Bella. That was some performance. How many guys did you have to sleep with before you perfected that little routine?" he spat.

I mulled over his words for a minute and tried to search his face for any clue about where this was coming from. I knew my attempt to lighten the mood wasn't a bright idea, but still. His reaction seemed harsh. The hard-set lines in his face told me that he was angry with me no doubt, but behind the anger was something else. Something that looked a little bit like hurt and certainty. He meant what he said to me. Well, guess what buddy that makes two of us.

I took a deep breath and fighting back the tears said, "That was unnecessary, Edward. And if that's what you really think of me then we have nothing further to talk about."

I got up from the table and walked out.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry for the cliffy. I'm a little stuck on where I want this story to go, but reviews always help me!**


	7. Author's Note

Hi everyone! I know you must be disappointed that this isn't a chapter, but I thought this was worth saying. I promise to make it up to you. I can't express how much your support has meant to me. I'm a little stuck as to where to go from here, but I'm mulling over a couple of ideas which I hope to finalize soon. And part of the reason I'm having so much trouble is the unnecessary mean-spirited comments I've been receiving.

I really really appreciate the positive, constructive suggestions for this piece and I will continue to welcome them. However, I have received a several negative and mean spirited messages from people who logged in as guests. This saddens me as a writer because I thought this was a place where I could post my ideas, share them with other friendly fans, and not have my ideas or my writing criticized in a mean way.

On that note, I feel the need to clarify where this story is probably going to go. I know this story is listed under humor/romance, but now I'm adding drama. I decided I wanted this story to have more depth. It's also going to venture into the physical aspects of any adult relationship. I realize these themes are not for everyone. If you are one of those people, I'm sorry this story is no longer for you. Now you've been warned, so there is no need to leave harsh, unhelpful messages in my inbox. Just stop reading my story and find something else to read. I feel I have every right as a writer to add or subtract whatever I want from my stories. I'm sorry if you don't agree.

I apologize for the long rant and the lack of a chapter, but I couldn't go any longer without saying my purpose here is to share my thoughts with people who would appreciate them, not to become the next Ernest Hemingway.

To those of you who have been nothing but helpful since the beginning, thank you from the bottom of my heart for putting up with me and reading my story.


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